Method of and apparatus for handling strands



Feb, u, m6. E. E, FRANZ METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING STRANDS Filed July l2, 1934 A TTORNE Y Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UN! TE D STATES PATENT] OFFICE METHOD oF AND APPARATUS Fon HANDLING s'rRANDs Erwin E. Franz, Cranford, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company,

Incorporated, New

This invention relates to a method of and apparat-us forv handling strands and more particularly to a method and apparatus for winding a cover strand onv a core strand andfor simultane-` ously twisting the core strand in some cases.

Machines and methods for such purposes in the past have comprised the steps of and means for advancing a core strand longitudinally of itself and applying a cover strand thereto from a supply while either rotating-the supply about the core strand or rotating the core strand on its own axis and holdingA the supply rotationally stationary.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus-for combining two or more strands in a predetermined relationship.

One embodimentV may be in a method anda machine wherein the core strand is advanced and at the same timerotated about its axis and in some cases also twisted while a cover strand supply is revolved about the core in the oppositedirection.

Other objects and characteristic features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which is a broken diagrammatic View in side elevation of a strand handling machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a stationary frame generally iiidicated at 23, having a horizontal base 2|, a ver- I tical post 22 and a ho-rizontal'top bracket 23. The frame also is provided with three intermediate brackets 24, 25 and 23 respectively. An electric motor 2'? of any suitable type is mounted on the post 22 near its top and drives a gear 28 7, meshing with a gear 29 mounted on a vertically 4U disposed main drive shaft 30 suitably journalled in the several brackets 23, 24, 25 and 26. It will be assumed that shaft 30 is driven counterclockwise, as seen from above, by the motor 21.

A generally C-shaped frame 3i, vertically disposed, is journalled at its lower end in the base 2| and at its upper end in a boss 32 formed on the bracket 24. The frame 3| is provided with an integral or rigidly attached gear 33 which meshes with and is driven in clockwise rotation by a gear 34 mounted on the shaft 30. A shaft 36 is mounted horizontally in the frame 3| with freedom both to rotate and to slide longitudinally. A friction disk 3l is rigidly mounted on the shaft and bears against a friction member 38 formed on the frame3| with a pressure determined by the adjustable spring 39.

A serving strand'supply base 40, here shown as supportingfour cops 4| of cover strand, the frontA cop being broken away, is journalled at 5 its lower end in and supportedby the bracket 24 in axial4A alignment with the frame 3|. The upper end o-f the frame 3|, the bracket 24 and the supplystrand4 base'il are formed with vertical aligned axial bores making a continuous verl0 tical passageway 35; 'Ihebase 40 is provided with an integral'or rigidlyv attached gear 42 which meshes lwith a pinion 43 carried on the bracket 24 and meshing in turn with a gear 44 mounted on'the shaft 30 which thus drives the base 40 15 in count'erc'lockwise rotation. The base is further provided'withcover strand guides 45.

A single integral or rigidly assembled frame 53 havingy an upper generally C-shaped portion 1| and a lower generally C-shaped portion 5| is 20 journallediri the three brackets 25, 26 and 23 in axial'ali'gnment With the base 40 and the frame 3|:l

The framef portion 5| extends down through the bracket 25 and has a central axial bore 52 25 aligned with the bore 35. At the lower extremity of the portion 5| is rigidly mounted a member 53 which may be thought of as a guide or c'ompacting' die. A gear 54 is also rigidly mounted on the lower end of the portion 5| and 30 meshes with a gear 55 on the shaft 30 whereby the entire frame 50 is driven clockwise. The gears 55 and'34 are alike and the gears 54 and -33are alike. Hence the frames 3| and 5|] revolve in unison. However, if desired, the gears may be 35 arranged to drive the frames 3| and 50 at different speeds and thus to put a twist in the core while it is being covered. In this case member 53 will be agtwisting die.

Portion 5| is provided with a pair of horizontal- 40 ly disposed bracket arms 56 in which is rotatably mounted a capstan 5l with its barrel horizontal and preferably tangent to the axis of rotation of the frame 50. A shaft 58 is also horizontally journalled in the portion 5| and carries a gear 53 45 which drives the capstan. The shaft 58 also carries a gear 60 which meshes with and is driven by a stationary gear 6| mounted on the bracket 25. The frame 50 is formed between the portions 5| and 1| with a bore 62 aligned with the bores 52 50 and 35.

The upper portion 1| of the rotary frame 5E) has a hollow shaft 'l2 journalled horizontally therein which carries at one end a friction disk 13 and at the other end a bevel gear 'I4 which 55 meshes with a bevel gear 15 mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 1G journalled in the frame portion 1|. The lower end of the shaft 16 carries a gear 11 which meshes with and is driven by a stationary gear 18 mounted on the bracket 26. A shaft is journalled in the hollow shaft 12 and has a take-upspool or reel 8| rigidly mounted thereon. The shaft 80 is keyed to the shaft 12 to rotate therewith but is free to slide longitudinally therein. A friction disk 82 for coaction with the disk 13 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 80 or on the spool or reel 8| to drive the reel, and means such as the adjustably tensio'ncd spring 83 is provided to adjust the pressure between the disks 13 and 82.

In one manner of operation, a core strand wound on a supply reel 9| mounted rigidly on the shaft 36, is threaded through the bore 35, the guide 53, and the bore 52, is wound as many times as necessary around the capstan 51, is threaded through the bore 62, and is attached to the takeup reel 8|. Cover strands 95 are brought from the cops 4| and secured to the core just belo'w the guide 53. The motor 21 is then started and drives the shaft 38 which drives the frames 3| and 50 in synchronous rotation in one direction and the base 40 in the opposite direction.

The gear 11 revolving about the stationary gear 18 is driven thereby and drives the take-up reel 8| through the gears 15 and 14 and the friction disks 13 and 82. The gear 60 revolving about the stationary gear 6| is driven thereby and drives the capstan 51 through the shaft 58 and the gear 59.

The capstan and take-up reel being thus driven draw the core strand up from the` supply reel 9| td the take-up reel. At the same time the strand together with its supply reel, capstan and take-up reel, being carried by the frames 3l and 50, is rotated clockwise.

Meanwhile the base 40 is driven counterclockwise and carries the cops 4| in revolution around the counter rotating core strand. 'I'he cover strands are thus wound on the core strand at a rate which is the sum of the rates of rotation and revolution o'f the core strand and cops respectively. Hence a higher longitudinal speed of the core strand may be used than if either the core strand or the supply cops were rotationally stationary.

By omitting or leaving idle the frame 3|, the apparatus may be operated as a high speed twisting machine for forming coreless intertwisted strand assemblies. In this case, member 53 is a twisting die. Strands 90 to be intertwisted are threaded up through the die 53, the bore 52, around the capstan 51, through the bore 62, and attached to the take-up reel.

When the machine is operated in this manner, one twist is put into the group of strands by each revolution of the base 40 and another by each revolution of the frame 50. 'I'hus again the longitudinal speed, for any given lay, of the intertwisted strands is proportional to the sum of the rotational speeds of the base 40 and frame 50, and not as heretofore to the single speed of one or the other.

It may be desirable in some cases to twist the core strand 90 at the same time that the cover strands 95 are being applied. In such cases the gear pairs 33, 34 and 54, 55 may be made with different drive ratios. Thus if gears 33, 34 drive the frame 3| at a slower speed thanv gears 54, 55 drive the frame 50, then the co're B0 will be twisted in the same sense as the lay of the cover strands 95; while if frame 3| rotates faster than frame 50, the core 90 will be twisted in a sense contrary to the lay of the cover strands.

The embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are illustrative only and may be modified and departed from in many Ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims. Thus, for example, in some instances the capstan might be dispensed with and its function taken over by the take-up reel. Also in some instances it might be desirable to mount a distributor device in the frame portion 1| to spread the covered core evenly on the take-up reel.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for winding a cover strand on a core strand, means to rotate the core strand in o'ne direction and at the same time to twist the core strand, and means to revolve the cover strand about the rotating core strand simultaneously in the opposite direction.

2. A method of winding a cover strand on a core strand which comprises the steps of rotating and twisting the core strand in one direction and of revolving the cover strand simultaneously about the rotating core strand in the opposite direction.

3. In an apparatus for winding a cover strand on a core strand, a rotatable frame for holding a core strand supply reel, a revoluble base to hold a cover strand supply, a rotatable frame to hold a take-up reel, means to rotate the frame at different speeds in one direction td simultaneously rotate and twist the core strand, and means to revolve the base and therewith the cover strand about the rotating core in the oppo'site direction.

4. In an apparatus for winding a cover strand on a core strand, a rotatable frame for holding a co're strand supply, a revoluble base to hold a plurality of cover strand supplies, a rotatable frame to hold a take-up reel, means to rotate the frames at different speeds in one direction to simultaneously rotate and twist the core strand, and means to revolve the base and therewith the plurality of cover strand supplies about the rotating core in the opposite direction.

ERW'IN E. FRANZ. 

